On Ya Bike

Coromandel MTB crossing

2011-11-22T11:14:00.001+13:00

A leisurely 55 km, 5 hours, 1570m of altitude gain

Lunch Spot

We started the ride with 10 of us meeting at Puriri Township, just south of the turnoff to the Kopu / Hikuai hill. We rode a short distance along the main road, then turned into Neavesville road, and began the 11.5 km climb up to 600 metres above sea level. Once we left the sealed road, the gradient got gradually steeper and the structure of road gradually changed to be a steep, rutted 4wd track when we were reduced to the granny gear. We stopped a couple of times to admire the views both of a rather nice Kauri tree and the Hauraki Plains .
From Neavesville, we stayed reasonably high for a couple of kilometres and stopped on a bit of a knoll from which we had great views of the Eastern Side of the Coromandel ranges. Then we began our 7km clay track descent (through some very technical sections some of which were unrideable!) down to the Tairua river at about 60 metres above sea level. We followed the river track through a rather pretty bush setting to find a nice picnic spot at which to have our lunch beside the river.
After lunch, we retraced our route for a short distance and began the tricky part. The short bush bash was unmarked (required local knowledge to find) and river crossing carry for about 500 metres onto private land. This part of the ride went past two homesteads, so should not be done without permission from the

Pritchards Kauri

owners.
After about 6 km of farm roads, we were back into forest roads, and made the climb back up to 300 metres to get views of the coast and down to Whangamata. Another short descent to view Pritchard’s Kauri, a magnificent Kauri too big to fit into one photo!
Then we had another 8 km of downhill to the “Luck at last” mine site – still in recognisable condition after 100 years. After this a wonderful 4 km stretch of single track, through stream crossings sharp corners, narrow ledges and interesting bush back to Tangatara road. We had a short climb and then a gradual 3 km of metal road down to Tairua road (SH25), where the last part of our trip is signposted.
It all seem to end too soon, with 8km flat sealed rd, then 2km pine forest singletrack to finish at the beach with a swim.

Our route can be found here.

Much of this ride is accessible and can be planned from maps, but our guide Tony had done a considerable amount of detailed research to link it all (including getting permission from landowners) to put it together. I would warn against trying without an experienced guide.

It has been a very slow winter..

2011-08-06T16:20:00.007+12:00

Don’t get me wrong. 2011 has so far been a very enjoyable year on my bike. I started with two new bikes, the most significant of which was the Scott Scale 29er. This took me from 140 ml travel at both ends to 100ml at the front. The big wheels compensated for this though.

The season started well with the Whirinaki Quest being on the day after I got the Scale. I was pretty happy with my performance, particularly as I came in under the previous year’s time in an event that was 4 km longer. The bike performed well, and I was looking forward to seeing how it would go in the next Auckland race.

However, soon after Whirinaki, I had an accident which damaged my knee. The pain was excruciating for a couple of weeks, but subsided to a bit of an ache, more of an annoyance than anything. So I set about getting fit for the Huka Challenge.

Summer came and went, and although I had a great deal of fun, my race results weren’t bad, but weren’t particularly good either. Choosing the highlight of the summer is pretty difficult with Team Avantiplus having some pretty good efforts, but my peak of fitness came with a podium result in the ‘Motatapu Icebreaker’.

From there I had two months off racing during which time I moved my business from Glenfield to Whenuapai. This required a pretty major effort and my riding suffered, partly because work became pretty absorbing and partly because my three times a week bike commute reduced from 32 to 22km each way.

So I wasn’t expecting too much from the first winter n-duro, but my effort could best be described as embarrassing. Still, we learn from this sort of thing, so I began putting some real effort in for the second, giving myself a month to gain the fitness required for an effort that I could be proud of. Not enough though. Still not a particularly good result, although I had the fitness, just not the speed. And I was able to enjoy the ride.

Then came the Craters classic at Taupo last weekend. All was well, a perfect frosty morning and a good start saw me in fine shape until the first hill. But I simply did not have the power to climb it. The event would have been great fun, but my knee pain was getting worse and every climb became a struggle. I was getting toward the end of the race, and was pretty much over it, when bang! I did a pretty good job of using my body to protect the bike from a tree, but still managed to bend the stem and buckle the front wheel. It was a struggle to the finish, but finish I did. It was not a mistake to do the ride, but boy, I need to sort myself out.

I went to the doctor to get my knee checked, and an x-ray showed that my patella was still broken from November. I am now advised that I need an operation to “fix it”. The doctor also commented that my right thigh muscle is considerably stronger that my left. So I measured them – my right is 52 cm in diameter, my left 48. I have been pedalling with just one leg! No wonder I have been struggling. I am now looking forward to having the operation and getting back to form.

On a positive note, though, the fishing has been good!

2011-03-15T15:30:00.009+13:00

I had done this event two years ago and remembered how difficult the start was, but I also knew that soon after the start there was a short descent on which to catch my breath. The course climbs steadily, but has many dips and climbs, so I was keen to make the most of my Scale 29er. This type of riding is ideally suited to the big wheels, although it does require a slight change in technique. Most of the climbs were relatively short, so rather than stay seated as I would normally, mostly I was climbing out of the saddle in a big gear.

The plan was to draft for as long as I could, and any overtaking could be done on the hills. Although the start took off at a furious pace, I was able to keep up.

The course continues to climb until the highest point at 34 km, and the hurt gets stronger and stronger and I got to the point where the only solution was a tube of Peak Fuel. I was also suffering from a sharp pain in my left leg, which I though may have been caused by my seat slipping down. So I stopped and raised it a little.

Then the river crossings began. Lots of them, some of them quite deep. Funnily enough, this was where I started to gain ground on the other competitors, perhaps it was due to my having the peak fuel, or maybe the cooling effect of the water splashing on my face. Whatever, I was back on form!

Then the highest point of the race came, and I managed to convince myself that it was all downhill from there! I took off and began passing people, cruising at about 30 km/h! The onto Soho creek, wow! Spectacular views of the valley, and a drop off that looked dangerous. This was the point at which we started to catch up with the runners, who all kept left, allowing those of us on bikes to take the right hand line. This was fast and furious and I was riding with two other people on 29ers, although they both had full suspension. I am happy to report that I was the fastest to the bottom!

There were more river crossings to come, and then finally the track up to the finish at Arrowtown. I was being chased down by another rider for this last section, and succumbed to the pressure at the last river crossing – I took a bad line and he got past. I finished in 2:24, third in my category.

After I had finished, I got back on my bike and went to greet my team-mates at the last river crossing. Sasha came through ten minutes after me to take third in the elite women’s category and Sadie ten minutes after her for second in the Masters women.

I had two goals for this ride. The first was to beat 2 hours and 30 minutes, and the second was to ride all of the river crossings. I achieved both. By far the biggest thrill of the weekend, though, was riding down the Crown Range Road on Sunday morning!

Karapoti 2011

2011-03-08T08:55:00.002+13:00

I once had a French car, it was a wonderful machine. Amazingly comfortable, fun to drive, and it had everything that was needed, and then some. It had character. And every now and then, it made sure that I knew that it was the boss. I hated it, and loved it, and when I was finally finished with it, I swore that I never buy another car of that brand again. But for some reason, when I see one, I kind of want one. And that annoys me.

I have the same sort of relationship with the Karapoti Classic MTB race. I was looking forward to my second attempt with some trepidation, because it represents the style of cross-country biking that I am not particularly good at. However, I wanted to conquer the challenge (get under that magical three hour time) and I still do.

I was reasonably well prepared, fitter and stronger than last year, and with strong support from Team Avantiplus. And the Scott Scale 29er is the perfect bike for this event.

The weather decided to show us all who is the boss. We were greeted on Saturday morning weather conditions that have been described as the worst yet. Not that that seems to affect Anton Cooper or Dirk Peters. These guys a remade of pretty stern stuff.

I got off to a good start, and enjoyed the first hour, despite the rain. Part of the way up the ‘warmup’ I heard “Hi Dad” from Elliot as he passed me at a seemingly effortless pace. When I got to the first aid station I checked my time, and was not far off the 3 hour pace.

I kept a reasonable pace through ‘Deadwood’ and was determined to put in a big effort to get back on target. By the top of the ’Rock Garden’, I was down by 4 minutes, and lost more going up the ‘Devils Staircase’, at the top of which I was nearly ten minutes off the pace. At this point, I realised I had lost too much time to make the three hour mark, and stopped checking my times.

Still, there were people to chase. Maybe they weren’t doing any better than I was, and perhaps I could close the gap. So I raced down ‘Big Ring’ (fun) right through to ‘Dopers Creek’ (I wonder how it got it’s name?) I have to admit that going up ‘Dopers’ was very hard work. I was still optimistic, though, because I knew that I was strong enough to race down the valley and maybe pick up a couple of places.

I did manage to pick off a couple of riders, and arrived at the final river crossing with only just enough energy to get back on my bike to cross the finish line. The bike performed flawlessly throughout, but perhaps I could improve with a few more hill repeats! It is comforting to know that when compared to last year, I closed the gap on some of my rivals, even though I didn’t beat them. Also, I can’t think of any part of the ride that I would have done differently.

Karapoti, you win again, but I will be back!

My team-mates did well. Hiskey got across the finish line in 2 hours 54 minutes despite having two punctures, Josh finished soon after in a creditable 3:01, Scott in 3:08, Elliot in 3:15, I got through in 3:18, and Sasha picked 5th place (and a cash prize!) in the Women’s elite in 3:40. Karen was recovering from an injured knee, Sadie was at home with Bike flu, and work commitments prevented Jamie T from going. For team Avantiplus MTB another great weekend.

National MTB Champs, Dunedin 26 Feb 2011

2011-03-01T20:59:00.002+13:00

This was an event to which all of the members of the AvantiPlus MTB race team were invited, and it was a beauty.

We were all quite surprised at the cold, despite having read the weather forecast before arriving.

The track at Forrester Park suited me, a little bit slippery and a couple of short climbs, one of which was on a metal road. We had a nice little start loop around a football field up some track onto and through another field. We then tore down a slippery zig zag track through a forest, across the some ‘off camber’ grass in the lower part of the park, up a shingle track and own again. Then into some forestry tracks through the forest. Nothing too scary, except for a slightly slippery bridge that was to prove my undoing in the fourth lap.

My race went well, apart from the aforementioned incident on the slippery bridge. I finished in fourth place, a bit higher up the list than expected, but only 30 seconds off the podium.

The morning racing went well for our group, with Sadie winning her category, Hiskey getting second in Masters, and Hattie (JAFAkids) getting second Under 17.

The afternoon racing was exciting to watch, particularly the race for the women’s elite title, with Karen (Team A+) battling Rosara Joseph for the win. The men’s elite was dominated by Carl Jones, in my opinion and that of many others, a well deserved victory. We watched the big star from Christchurch, Anton Cooper overtake the whole elite field during his race )which was a lap shorter than the elite).

Piki (Team A+ and JAFAkids) finished a creditable seventh in the Elite Women’s race, Nick Millar (JAFAkids) 13th in men’s elite.

We wound up the day with dinner in a restaurant just off the Octagon, a very pleasant evening marred by lousy service.

Wild Wellington Trip 18 to 20 Feb 2011

2011-02-24T18:07:00.005+13:00

Jamie J, Sasha and I arrived in Wellington on Friday afternoon in time to have a coffee and a practise lap of the course. Our Motel was in Evans Bay, handy to the airport and to Mt Victoria, where the race was to be held.

We headed up to the velodrome to check the course and met with my friend Pete, who showed us how to ride it. It was a relatively easy (therefore fast) part of Mt Vic, and fun to ride.

Josh showed up at the motel at about 10 o’clock that night.

Six o’clock on race day had us reluctantly getting out of bed to get ready to help with the set-up in the race village. All went well and we were ready well before the race was due to start.

We made the decision to do three laps each. Hiskey got our team off to an excellent start coming in third after his three laps. Josh followed, continuing to set a blistering pace and moving our team into 2nd overall. We continued through the rota with Sasha Jamie J and then it was my turn. Disaster struck – a puncture one third of the way into my first lap! It was here that I found the first ever disadvantage with the Scale 29er – the gas canister did not have the volume to fill the 29 x 2.25 tyre! I pumped the tyre enough to get me around the lap and fortunately, Hiskey was able to take over for a couple of laps while I got myself sorted.

Race day banter was fun, and we were getting closer and closer to the overall leaders, and a massive night time effort by Josh brought us very close. We did however; win our category, making it a fun and successful day.

On Sunday morning we managed to get up at six o’clock again – perhaps the excitement of Saturday was still with us. Josh took Sasha to the airport, and Jamie and I went to meet Scott Mac for breakfast and a ride.

We set off from Haitaitai through the City, past Parliament to Khandallah, and up the track to Mt Kaukau. We took the tourist approach to this ride, stopping to take in the magnificent views, and to take photographs. We rode the ridgeline through some magnificent country, occasionally touching (but never entering) suburbia from time to time. Eventually, we had to cross a road, and then climbed the switchback track up to Makara Peak. Again, we had wonderful views throughout 360 degrees, from Wellington Airport, around to the Marlborough Sounds, and north to the Kapiti Coast and Hutt Valley. We concluded our ride with a wicked descent into the Aro Valley, and a short road section back through the Mt Victoria Tunnel to Haitaitai. We were gone for over four hours, with a ride time of three hours fifteen minutes.

Another great day in Wellington

Black Stump Adventure, Ngaruawahia Saturday 12 February 2011

2011-02-16T12:10:00.001+13:00

The Black Stump adventure race has the advantage of being close to home, and is in a place where we would not ordinarily be able to ride. It is on a private farm and mostly runs through completely open farm tracks. It is a very tough event, with many steep climbs and descents.

The race begins in the farm yards and goes up a metalled road, then into a long grassy descent. Good fun. Then across a stream, and back up a dirt farm track to the race village. At this point, the ride seemed easy and fast! Once through the race village, we were on to some slippery single track, with water ruts down the middle. As the ride went on, it got more and more difficult with some very steep climbs (some of which were so steep I had to walk!) and descents.
At one point, the rider in front of me had a nasty fall, and looked as though he was struggling to get up. I stopped, got his bike off him and helped him to sit up. It looked as though his leg was swollen and broken, so I caught the attention of a nearby marshal. The rider convinced me that the swelling was from an old injury and sent me on my way. He got back on his bike and passed me a bit later in the race, so he must have been all right!
Those of us who were doing the 40 km event had to do a couple of extra loops and rejoin the 30 km riders, which I must admit, I found a bit disheartening.
I finally got to the last climb, which was on the road and comparatively easy, then a nice descent to the finish.
Without doubt, this is one of the toughest rides around. 40 km on these tracks will be good preparation for the events that lie ahead. The ride also affords great views, from the Bombay Hills to Raglan, Mt Pirongia and across the Waikato Dairy country.
I finished 17th overall and 5th in my category.

Summer N-Duro 2,Rotorua Sunday 6 February 2011

2011-02-16T12:08:00.000+13:00

Another early morning start saw a group of us head off to Rotorua for the second round of the summer N-duro series. My expectations were not too high, as having raced the previous day I was not expecting anything other than a fun day out. My objective was to ride a smooth race, testing the Scott Scale 29er for the first time in Whakarewarewa.
I did not have a particularly good start, somehow managing to bend my derailleur hanger in the melee, but once I had found some stable gears I was away.
The trails were in superb condition and the Scale performed well. I was surprised to find that the climbs up Direct Road and “frontal lobotomy” did not seem as difficult as they usually do, nor did the “Chinese menu” seem too taxing. I have fitted bar ends to the bike, and with regular use of the “lockout” feature on the forks, I have improved what was already and impressive bike.
When I got to the river crossing at “Rosebank”, there was a big crowd looking for some action in the creek. I was determined not to provide any photographic moments and managed to make a smooth line through the water.
I finished 4th in category and thirty fourth overall – not bad for Rotorua.

Trailfest Riverhead Saturday 5 February 2011

2011-02-16T12:07:00.000+13:00

Just over 100 of us assembled in the early morning drizzle to compete in the trailfest on Saturday morning. The trails were wet and slippery and covered an interesting mix of road, single track and mud. The Course was slightly changed from that shown on shown on the map.

I was one of 73 who opted to do the 32 km race. We started with a chase up Barlow Road, then another short climb onto some single track. I was going well, until I lost traction on a rather steep descent and crashed heavily (I later discovered that my helmet was cracked, thank goodness it was my helmet and not my head!). I got up, gathered my thoughts and resigned myself to the fact that I would spend the rest of the race playing catch-up.

We went through that race village at the 20 km mark and after downing a tube of peak fuel, I was feeling strong. I could see a couple of riders just ahead, so I gave chase for what was a reasonably lengthy road section. I passed three or four, and the came to the wet, slippery single track uphill section, which I struggled with. I lost two places in this but managed to finish second in category, and ninth overall.

The more I ride the Scale 29er, the more I like it. It is kept in perfect condition by the team at Avantiplus Waitakere, and rarely misses a beat. It was disappointing that there was no prize giving at this event, so once our friends had finished, we kind of petered out of that race area and went into town for coffee.

Scott Scale Gets 18 Feet of Grunt

2010-12-05T18:00:00.010+13:00

A group of us from the department Of Cycling thought we would head out to Waiheke Island to have a go at the Waiheke Mountain Bike Club’s 4 Hour Rangihoua Challenge.

I thought that it would be fun to take the boat, and as luck would have it, Megan D was planning to take her van out, so the plan was to get her to take the bikes and other equipment out and five of us travel by boat. Elliot and I thought that it would be easier to put our bikes in the cabin, rather than rush down to the ferry terminal to meet Megan and then on to launch the boat.

A great weather forecast and favourable tides made this easy.

So yesterday morning came and the crew arrived at the boat, all with smiles, and Billy with his bike. It turned out that the boat (6 metres) can comfortably take five adults and three bikes. We loaded up and headed out to the harbour.

Cruising out in the Hauraki Gulf is one of the great pleasures of Auckland. As we headed out past Brown’s Island, we spotted the car ferry chugging along – a quick text to Megan “On Ya Right” resulted in an interesting reply. Full throttle and gone.

Arrival at Waiheke was easy, we pulled up on to the beach and carried our stuff across knee deep water to land where Megan met us with the van and we set out for the four kilometre ride to the park.

Our intention was never to go too hard, but what can you do? Elliot started first, and came in a very close second to a solo rider, so I had to do my best to give chase. Peak fuel kept us in energy for the day, helping us all have consistent lap times.

The Scale 29er was up to the job, handling an unforgiving track well, this being my first full noise speed event on it. Rapid cornering is it’s forte, handling the off camber sweepers just fine. The big wheels roll well, particularly on the many short sharp climbs in this course.

The Divas (Sadie and Piki) came in third and the JAFAS@Doc team (Paul and Billy) were in the middle of the field somewhat held back with a puncture in the late stages. The positions were held for a few laps, but we managed to take over the lead after about an hour.

This event was big fun, and I recommend it.

The boat trip back was fun, although it had its moments. Jamie had a ski, and although it was cutting it fine for the ferry, he skiied back to the wharf. He leapt on his bike and gapped it out. A phone call came “where is Jamie? The ferry is about to leave!” but we hear that he arrived with thirty seconds to spare.

The telling sign of the day was the huge smiles when we got off the boat. What a fantastic day out.

Huka Challenge 27/11/10

2010-11-30T07:42:00.001+13:00

The Huka challenge marked the Launch of the “Avantiplus MTB Team”, of which I am privileged to be a member. I had since the team was launched been looking forward to meeting the members who I had not yet met, and was pretty excited with the prospect of the team getting together to compete in this event.
We arrived at registration on Friday afternoon, and all was well. This event is very well organised and registration was a breeze. It was also a place we were able to catch up with friends and fellow mountain bikers from all over the country. I had a arranged to meet Scott Mac, who suggested that we ride together. Ambitious, I know, because for MTB we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Worth a try, though.
Any fear of not being accepted by the team was soon put to rest when we arrived at our accommodation on after registration. After all, here were eight of us with a shared passion for mountain biking joining to participate in a sport that we love. The other riders all showed the humility and friendliness that makes our sport special. Having introduced ourselves, we set about discussing the objectives of the team and getting to know each other’s backgrounds and ambitions for the future. They are all people with whom I would like to spend more time.
The accommodation we had was a lakefront house and on race day morning we awoke and 5 o’clock to a perfect Taupo morning, a clear sky with a perfectly flat crystal clear lake. We all got into our race day routine, and all went smoothly. Some of us went in cars to the start line, others rode. As my goal was to enjoy the ride rather than compete for a place, I chose to warm up with stretches on the start line, and take it fairly easy for the first part of the ride.
I met with Scott and we managed to get to the front of the start line. We started together, but he got away from me on the first major climb, and from there it was pretty much catch-up for some time.
This event must be the purest MTB event in which I have participated; there it comprises mostly forest track for the first 60 km. There is no let-up, every metre was hard fought and won. There were excruciating climbs, wicked downhills which required total concentration. The tracks were such that lapses in concentration were not forgiven; indeed most of the people that I know made mistakes that cost them time. Most of the tracks were unfamiliar, and I had no idea where I was at any given time. What I could see, though, is that this is a part of Taupo that until this event, I have very much missed out on.
Just before the transition/feed zone I saw Scott coming the other way, just a few minutes ahead. This spurred me on to try and catch him, and I did so during a very tight and difficult section of track soon after. The relief at coming out of the forest at the 55 km mark was short lived, as we went down to the river and onto more tracks, sharp switchbacks and even more short but difficult climbs. The sudden onset of a minor cramp required a quick stop to fuel up on peak fuel and away again, quickly overtaking those who went past while I was stopped. There was a fast metal road (the first easy part of the ride) section to Aratiatia Dam, then a dismount to walk over the bridge across the Waikato River. A quick glance down and I could see some fish in the pool! The ride along the eastern side of the river back to the finish line was mostly fun, with a mixture of metal road and shared walking/bike tracks which climbed up to reveal some amazing views and the going back down to the river for a closer look. We went past Spa Park and more tricky tracks – this was not going to be an easy finish. We climbed up and rode alongside the road (is this it?), but there was no relief! Back down a switchback to and then alongside the river to the control gates bridge. A small climb took us to a temporary bridge over the main road, and then we had a short seal road ride to the finish. We joined the roadies for the sprint along Tongariro Street to the finish - I was determined that I was not going to let anyone past me along here. I used what little energy I had left to sprint across the line, finishing in just under five hours, followed very closely by Scott and a couple of other friends. The pineapple chunks at the finish line were delicious and tempting though it was to stay and feast, we had to keep moving to let others finish.
The finish is always the best part of an event, we get to socialise with other participants and tell stories about what we liked and didn’t, but of course, after this event, as a part of a team we had a base. Here we were able to meet friends and enjoy their company, introduce our team-mates, show off our bikes and enjoy a very pleasant afternoon with good company.
I managed to catch up with a number of people, after which I rode back to our accommodation and was able enjoy the perfect weather and location by having a swim in the lake with my team-mates and their families.
During the ride back to Five Mile Bay, I watched some of the late finishers and saw the beauty of this event, not just the outstanding location, but the fact that there were people of all shapes sizes and ages out enjoying their bikes. This is a great event, and it is no surprise that the number of mountain bike entries was double that of last year.

2010-11-03T16:00:00.002+13:00

Whirinaki Quest and the Scott Scale Elite 29er

I have ridden 29ers before, but I have never raced an unfamiliar trail on a 29er hard tail. So it was with some trepidation that my friend and I set out on Friday afternoon for Rotorua with our bikes, mine a Scott 29er Elite hard tail that I had collected that morning. I hadn’t had a chance to go for a ride, so I was hoping to get there in time to get a short test ride in the forest before dark that evening.
This bike is described on the Scott Website as a “reasonably priced bike’ and at 11.6 kg is quite light. Selling through Avantiplus stores at just over $3,000 it certainly represents very good value for money.
I managed to get a ride on Friday evening, and had time to make some basic adjustments, but not enough to test and thoroughly check them.
On race morning, we went to the site of last year’s event village, and although there were a few people milling around, we were the only ones with bikes! We were a bit early, so we carried on, but someone came along and pointed and told us that we were actually at a pool tournament and pointed us in the right direction and we got to the race village. We eventually got registered, set up to the start line, and ready to go. The usual weekend warriors were there, including ‘G’, who I have been chasing around the forests all winter (and getting closer), and ‘A’, who has been chasing me around all winter (also closing in). I expected a good race. It became my goal to beat ‘G’, and therefore ‘A’, not necessarily get any other placing, although that would be nice. There was, of course the usual trash talk!
My plan was to take a measured approach to the start, climbing to the 8 km mark (all uphill) just short of the hurt level, then ride to my strengths, namely the fast single track and the descents, hopefully out manoeuvring my opponents and managing to stay ahead during the climbs.
The bike performed well, and I was impressed with the climbing (I am accustomed to riding a full suspension bike), and, unusually, managed stay competitive. The race went according to plan and I was happy with my effort. The bike was a revelation, particularly in areas where there were deep and difficult ruts – it just cruised straight through them. Very easy to control, although I thought that the forks were a bit unresponsive (it turns out that I had misread the pressure chart, and had pumped them up to 160 psi, when the recommended pressure for my weight is 120psi!)
At the 32 km mark, there is what is known as “mongrel hill”, and energy sapping bastard of a climb which even the best rider on the day had to carry his bike. I struggled up here and it was near the top of this hill that three of us (‘G’, ‘A’ and I) came together. This was going to be a race to the finish line. I came out of this climb last of the three of us, and tried to ignore the pain. There was about a kilometre of tricky downhill, which if I nailed, I would hopefully have enough of a lead to win the road sprint to the finish line. I led out of the descent and got well ahead as I had hoped, but, but I looked back and I could see that ‘A’ was chasing hard, and gaining rapidly. With about 1500 metres to go, he caught me, so I backed off, let him past, and tucked in behind so that I could borrow some energy for the final sprint across the paddock to the finish line. I got ahead going through the gate, did a bit of blocking and rode my butt off to finish about 20 metres ahead. ‘G’ finished shortly after, (having had a motivational breakdown due to a bit of cramp). Goal achieved.
Not enough to win my category (I got category 2nd and seventh overall) but a very satisfying day indeed. The race was won by 16 year old Nigel, McDowell, who I think embodies all of the values we seek in our young – modest, successful, and a generally very pleasant person.
The bike a very definitely a keeper. And I will be back for another Whirinaki quest!

Coromandel Day Out Sunday 25th April 2010

2010-03-29T17:58:00.004+13:00

Postponed indefinitely. Sorry.

I have always enjoyed visiting The Coromandel peninsular and have had the pleasure of competing in a number of events there.

The trouble is that, as soon as there is a timer, I lose the ability to stop and enjoy the location and the view. So I thought that I would organise an untimed ride myself.

The idea is to start at Tapu, about 20 km north of Thames, and ride the 27 kilometres across the range to Coroglen, have lunch at the pub, and continue back over the”309” road, a total of about 58 km.

The idea is that if there is enough support, we could split into two groups, one starting at the 309 road, and the other at Tapu, so we could swap vehicles and meet back Tapu or Thames for fish and chips before heading home. Interestingly, the 309 road section is longer than the Tapu Coroglen road, but has less climbing. Faster or stronger riders may choose to complete the circuit and ride the road back to Tapu. It is about 30 km extra.

Contact me to discuss, and I will put the names of confirmed participants on the here.

I am interested in feed back as to the suitability of the day and the route

I have posted the ride on bikely, so check it out there.

Wellington 2010

2010-03-18T17:38:00.000+13:00

Another trip to Wellington, this time for my first attempt at the Karapoti Classic Mountain bike race.

It has been a number of years since I first heard Scotty say “Marty, you should do the Karapoti.” Each year, the call has been louder, so this year, I succumbed. A combination of cheap airfares ($139 return) and a “I wonder if I can” attitude had me signing up in January for this, the original MTB Race. Thing is, I have a rough idea what makes the Wellington riders so good, and really having experienced only Mt Vic a couple of times I wanted to see what gets such a large number of them out on a Saturday. I figured that what doesn’t kill me will make me a better rider.

The time to beat is three hours, but to achieve this it is better to enter the pro-elite category, so as not to be held up by riders who just want to ride the event without a specific goal. I had never seen the course, only heard about it’s fearsome reputation with steep hill climbs and shoulder height drop-offs, neither of which I am particularly good at.

So, I entered the age group class, and set myself a goal of three hours and fifteen minutes, secretly hoping I could make the three hour pace. Training consisted of my normal riding, with at least one five hour ride per month, one ride with a 30 minute climb per week, and the odd granny gear hill repeat session. Nothing too serious.

Scott had given me the times necessary to reach the three hour time – Top of the warmup climb, 50 minutes, Dopers creek 2 hrs 10 minutes and the finish line, 3 hours. There were a couple of others, but I can’t remember them.

The morning of the race came, and although confident that I had done enough work so as not to embarrass myself, I was very nervous. The worst part of any event is waiting for the start, and this was the worst, with my group starting 50 minutes after the first starters. At least I would be able to look for the best line across the river. But it was cold, and raining.

Once we got under way, it took me a little while to get up to speed because of the amount of time we had been waiting for the start, but it was all good. The track through the valley was wet and muddy, and to try and protect my drivetrain, I and many of the other riders were zigzagging around the puddles, using up valuable energy, but worth it to make sure the equipment made it to the finish line. Towards the warmup climb, I thought that I would use the granny ring, but the mud had washed the oil off and the result was chain suck. This meant that I had to tough the climbs in the middle ring, which, to my surprise, was less of a problem that the slow traffic.

The first milestone, the aid station and the top of warmup passed at 55 minutes, 5 minutes over the three hour time, and on target for 3 hours 15, so all good. The next section was fairly fast, and I was looking forward to the rock garden. When we got there, it was what I had expected, but there were lines down most of the difficult bits. Again, the problem was catching up to the slower riders, and having to dismount. However, not much time was lost. The “devils staircase’” was difficult as expected, but once over that we were well past the half way point and the fun began. “Big ring boulevard” was very fast, with some corners that took the speed off, but it was great fun.

At Dopers Creek, I had another time check and 2:18 versus target of 2:10, I was not in bad shape. 50 minutes to go. I made it up Dopers in reasonable shape and on the descent I got it into my head that I could make 3 hours. Looking back, it seems like a completely unreasonable idea. However, I gave all I had. Full noise all the way to the finish line, even to the extent of passing someone just before the final bridge! Adrenalin. I crossed the finish line in 3 hours 11 minutes with nothing left in the tank, I could barely move!

I can’t even say that I conquered it until I have gone under three hours, but I believe that it was a good performance and I am pleased with my effort. The trouble with a performance like that is that it will spur me on - perhaps I can do better next year!

National MTB Champs, Wellington 28/02/10

2010-03-05T10:48:00.002+13:00

Some months ago, when BikeNZ announced the venues and timetables for the MTB Island Cup and National Championships series, we decided to take advantage of the cheap airfares on offer and go to Wellington for the weekend.
I have always found the Mt Victoria course very difficult, indeed a bit too difficult to enjoy. I had also heard that the course had changed to make it even more difficult. Simply that it was designed to take the riders from anaerobic threshold to full on downhill and back again, so I thought that I would be a spectator for a change. However, I later decided that since I was going to be there, I might as well give it a go, and treat the race as a practise run for Karapoti the following week.
I got a bit lucky though, in that I met with Pete Reynolds of COG Cycling www.cogcycling.co.nz who spent a bit of time helping with my technique. We went over the course and checked a few lines, particularly over the rooty climbs, as well as spending a bit of time cornering on the single track. I am convinced that what he taught me made the ride a lot less difficult that what would otherwise be the case.
If you are in Wellington, get in touch with this guy, you will be pleased you did. He has that rare combination of expertise and patience that will enable you to improve your enjoyment on your bike.
The race itself was fun and I think the results in my category (m3) are a fair reflection of the abilities of the riders. For my own part, I think that I rode quite well, I am pleased that my lap times were very close throughout the race, and I am particularly pleased that I picked up 40 seconds from the next finisher, who was right behind me 2/3rds of the way around the last lap.

2009-12-10T13:31:00.002+13:00

Road Rage

Here is the text of a letter that I sent to the police last week. It often surprises me the hatred that some motorists have for those of us who choose to cycle, it is not logical and obviously not well thought out. Most of those who scare us do so accidentally, but from time to time I encounter people like this guy, who does not realise how easy it is to track down a signwritten vehicle.

The thing is, that this guy (and others like him) is likely to hurt one of us, and if we let the police know what he is like, they will know where to look. They will also make contact and and let him know that they have been notified.

I think that if you encounter drivers like this you have a responsibility to collect as much information as possible and pass it to the Police. After all, it could be your riding buddy that you save.

"A complaint against a motorist;

This morning, at about 9:15, I was cycling from Link Drive to my place of work in Ashfield Road, a short trip that requires me to be in the right lane when turning into Wairau Road from Target Road. I could see that the traffic lights up ahead were red, so I proceeded into the middle of the right lane in Target road (an action that is necessary to prevent drivers of cars from trying to squeeze past when there really isn’t room).

I heard from behind me that most threatening of noises, an impatient driver revving his engine. The vehicle did squeeze past, so I approached the driver who indicated his lack of patience by accusing me of being all over the road, and saying that bastards like me should be banned from the road. He then said that he should get bull bars so that he could run us down and kill us. At this point, I decided that best I get the hell out of his way, so I took off in another direction.

I was unable to record the registration or brand of vehicle, but it was a light truck, sign written with the name “Sign Erections Ltd” on it. The sole director of that company is Rodney Kenneth SCHOU, whose address is 3-62 Kitchener Road, Milford. A quick check of the street view in Google Maps reveals a similar style of vehicle parked outside this address.

My point is this. I am a regular cyclist who is in touch with many others, and this guys comments are similar to those reported from the driver of a white ute who the police are seeking for the killing of a cyclist in Peak Road. This arrogance tends to permeate through all aspects of driving, making him a danger on the roads.

I would appreciate it if one of your officers could visit this person, and let him know that such threatening behaviour is unacceptable, and that he is not anonymous. His actions should have consequences."

2009-12-10T12:10:00.003+13:00

Event planning

It occurs to me that there is a need for a comprehensive website that organisers can consult when deciding the dates for their events.

Last year we had conflict between the n-duro events in Rotorua and the Auckland Secondary Schools events, and the planning for 2010 is also problematic. The Dual, the Rotorua to Taupo 100k Flyer and the National Secondary schools MTB Championships all planned for the same day.

Those of us who are keen to do these iconic events will have to make unwelcome choices and event promoters will lose revenue.

As a cyclist, I want all of these events to succeed – they are good fun. So I have been maintaining an events calendar on the Auckland Mountain Bike Club website that can be consulted.

THE SPORTING ADVANTAGE

2009-10-15T14:19:00.005+13:00

I often use my bike to commute the 33 km to work (if I were able to use the harbour bridge it would reduce the distance to 16 km) and as it is a regular ride that is pretty much the same, I am able to compare the effects of different foods on my ride. The wind makes a bit of a difference, but the overall return trip is pretty neutral.

I have been using this product for some time as a replacement for milk products. It gives me an advantage in that it helps maintain the energy levels that I would otherwise find difficult. I very rarely get cramp during a ride, although sometimes after I do. I need a fair amount of energy during the day.

The real beauty of this product is that the normal amount of mucus build up that I used to associate with milk consumption is absent. I know of a number of people who have milk allergy or are lactose intolerant who are using this product and are feeling benefits from it.

We make this at our factory and sell it in 750 gram resealable bags for $25. Contact me if you are interested in buying some.

2008 Day Nightmare

2009-09-16T11:35:00.000+12:00

Taupo Day/nightmare

Well here we go. Its quarter past 12, and I said that I would get Charlotte from school at half past, better check that everything is sorted. Bikes on the rack, nice and secure. Shoes, helmets, gloves Check. Food? Yep. Off we go Collect Children from their schools.

Fuel up at In-laws in Hamilton, looking to build up for tomorrows ride. I know that I should eat during the event, but I just can’t handle it, but I have some pikelets just in case, and I’ give them a go in the early part of the ride. If no ill effects, I will have every second lap until they run out. Hope I have done enough fitness work. I really want a podium in this, even though it is really just a build for the Whaka 100. Otherwise going round and round the same lap every 25 minutes is boring. Yep, I think that I can do it, I am going better than I was last year (13 laps, 4^th place) and I think I can do 14. That should do it (I later found that Jamis had entered their sponsored riders in this event, so I didn’t have a hope!)

Just leaving Hamilton, and Crash!! A car is parked in our boot! Not my beautiful bike! (was that out loud?) “You OK Elliot?” “Yep”. Better check the damage. Hey, they look ok. Get them off the rack. Oh, no, the frame is damaged, but I think I can ride it. No, a closer look reveals more damage; I don’t think it is worth the risk.

“How’s yours, Elliot?”

“Knackered. What do we do now?”

“Go home, I guess. Nothing to ride, it’s all a bit pointless”

“I want to go anyway. It will be fun”

“Ok, but no point in taking the bikes. We’ll leave them in Hamilton. A couple of phone calls, and we have a bike for Elliot from Avantiplus, meanwhile a policewoman has arrived at the accident, and asks for details. I hand her my license, and say that I busy trying to arrange the loan of some bikes for the race tomorrow. She says ok (turns out she is a bit of a roadie, and completely understands our distress).

More phone calls, and Jamie till say “yes I will turn back and get my other bike” I make sure that he is comfortable with the idea that I may decide tomorrow morning that I may be too despondent to ride “I’ll get it anyway”, he says. Good bloke.

Saturday morning, I am still a bit flat, you know, and I don’t want to do the event. However, I get caught up in the atmosphere at the park and decide to go..

“10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 go!” We’re away! Bit of a struggle getting through to camp ground, Jafakids yell support (feels great) down the hill, across the bridge to the climb. Legs hurt, but they always do at the start, and then finally get into a rhythm. I’m away, I can do this and enjoy it – this is why I like to ride. Bike feels good, corners really well for what is essentially a jump bike, Bugger! I am down, didn’t make it round the corner, how come? Back on and then the reason is obvious – front tyre is soft. Oh well, If I ride gently, it should make it to the end of the lap…..no off again! Stuff this, I will walk it out and take the day off. Yep, that is what a loser would do!

I choose to run it out I hope someone from the club passes me so I can send a message to ask someone to help with a tyre change. Check with a marshal to see if I can short cut, no, she tells me you have to follow the course. Damn. Shortly Roy passes me and I tell him about the tyre. Running is starting to hurt, but I have thought for a long time that I should practise, but too late now. Finally, I arrive at the campsite to find that Roy and Pete are ready with a tube and pump, and Birgitte is ready with the soothing words “that was a bit slow, Martyn, you need to improve a little.” Nice. Good thing is that it is not hard to improve on a 38 minute lap! I think I can. I tell her.

Tyre back on and it turns into a good day on the bike completing 12 laps ( I thought it was 13). I am happy that I did it.